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Working Together to Keep the Nation’s Poultry Healthy!

November 16, 2018 Dr. Alan Huddleston, VMD, APHIS Avian, Swine & Aquatic Animal Health Center Director

Poultry owners all know how devastating a disease outbreak can be. Whether it’s a backyard farm with a few birds or a large commercial operation, losing your flock to disease causes more than just financial losses. That was never truer as we faced the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)...

Animals

USDA’s Role in Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance

November 13, 2018 Roxann Motron and Kim Cook, USDA Agricultural Research Service; Uday Dessai and Sheryl Shaw, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Scientists from USDA developed the tools to mass produce penicillin, which was used for treating wounded soldiers over 70 years ago during World War II. Antibiotics are still important in treating microbial infection in humans, animals, and plants. However, microbes can develop resistance to some...

Animals Health and Safety Research and Science

Scary Pests on Firewood: No Thanks this Holiday Season

November 13, 2018 Abbey Powell, APHIS Public Affairs

With Halloween a few weeks behind us, and the time for gathering family and friends to give thanks fast approaching, you might not realize scary creatures may still lurk outside… waiting for a free ride to your house or cabin… in your firewood!

Animals

Macro Trends in the U.S. Food System: A Q&A with Anne Effland, Senior Economist, USDA Office of the Chief Economist

November 13, 2018 Anne Effland, Senior Economist, USDA Office of the Chief Economist

What are the macro trends in food production and policy? In this blog, USDA Senior Economist Anne Effland gives an overview of how consumers are shaping the way food is grown and how USDA is supporting the evolving food system. Read more in the article Effland co-authored with Carolyn Dimitri in the...

Biotechnology Farming Food and Nutrition Technology

Happy Birthday Amber Waves!

October 31, 2018 Alex Melton, Rosanna Mentzer Morrison and Dennis Vilorio, USDA Economic Research Service

For the past decade and a half, ERS has been highlighting its research through its magazine, Amber Waves. As technology has evolved, so has Amber Waves, but the focus on bringing ERS’s latest agriculture and food research to readers in an engaging and user-friendly format has remained constant. In...

Research and Science Technology

Revolutionary Carbon Foam from Wood

October 18, 2018 Shannon Kelleher and Tom Moreland, USDA Forest Service

Carbon foam — a stiff, porous structure formed from a web of carbon atoms — is the stuff of manufacturers’ dreams. The breakthrough material is strong but lightweight, non-flammable and able to maintain its performance at high temperatures, and capable of absorbing sound and radiation. This unique...

Forestry Technology

Reflecting on One Year of Innovation at Rural Development

October 12, 2018 Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development

Last year, Secretary Perdue created the Rural Development Innovation Center, a team devoted to partnership development, regulatory reform, data analysis, and risk management. With a mission of coordinating resources and providing creative solutions for our rural customer, the Innovation Center is...

Rural Technology

Two Down and One to Go

October 10, 2018 Rhonda Santos, APHIS Public Information Officer

On September 12, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its partners declared Monroe Township in Clermont County, Ohio, free of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). This news came just months after APHIS declared Stonelick Township free of the beetle in March.

Animals

What Can I Bring Back with Me When I Travel Overseas?

October 04, 2018 Kim Bailey, APHIS Lead Web Manager

When you travel, it’s likely you’ll want to bring home more than just memories of your trip. If you are someone who likes to bring home souvenirs, mementos, food gifts or other objects from overseas, there’s some important information you need to know. Selecting the wrong kinds of items could bring...

Animals

New Technology for Landowners and Resource Managers Revolutionizes Rangeland Monitoring

September 18, 2018 Justin Fritscher, NRCS

America’s vast western grazing lands produce food for the nation, recreation revenues for local communities, and habitat for wildlife. Producers often manage large swaths of rangelands, making it a challenge to track how vegetation has fared over time.

Conservation Technology